Improvement in step-ladders



G. GAY.

STEP-LADDER.

No. 1931081,V Patented Jun/17,1877.

. j wwxTrNEssEs INVENTOR rll ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE GAY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEP-LADDERS.'

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 193,081, dated July 17,1877; application filed December 2, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE GAY, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and` I `figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a perspective view of mystep-ladder, and Fig. 2 a sideview thereof, folded.

- This invention has relation to step-ladders, and its object is toprovide a ladder which will be steady and strong when in use, and yetcan be folded in such a manner as to bring the sides toward each other,so that it can be laid along the wall of a store or apartment and willoccupy but little space. A further object is to facilitatetransport-ation.

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of thehinges on the upper and under sides of the respective ends of each step;of the supporting-cleats on one side of the ladder under those ends ofthe steps which have their hinges on the upper sides; of the braceshinged to the side pieces of theladder in the planesthereof; and, inconnection therewith, of the transverse connecting bar or bars, and thehooks or hinged braces for steadying all the parts when set upright, ashereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A represents the side pieces ofthe step-ladder. B indicates the steps thereof, which are provided withhinges a at one end above the steps, and with hinges b at the other endbelow the steps, so that the latter will readily fold upward toward thehinges a, when the sides of the ladder are brought toward each other.

C C represent transverse cleats, which are secured to the inside of theside piece of the ladder, to which `the top hinges a of the steps areconnected. rI hese cleats are preferably let into the side piece, andserve to support the steps at this end. At the other end the steps aresupported by the hinges b,

which are underneath, and form sufficient ledges for this purpose.

D D are the bracelegs of the ladder. These are hinged to the rear edgesof the side pieces A, as shown at c, so as to readily fold in the planesof said side pieces toward said edges, and come in contact therewith.These bracelegs are connected by a brace or braces, E, hinged atopposite ends above and below, as described above, in the case of thesteps B so so. that the brace-legs can be brought toward each otherlaterally, when the side pieces are approximated in this manner.

On each side of the-ladder is an ordinary hooked brace, F, which, beingconnected with the side piece and brace-leg of that side, serves to keepthese parts inrrelative position. Sometimes it is intended to usejointed braces similar in principle to those employed in theconstruction of folding buggy-tops, in order to avoid hooking andunhooking.

To secure additional firmness, it may sometimes be advisable tointroduce an oblique transverse hook or brace between the side pieces A.This may be located above the upper step, below the lower step, orbetween any two steps. It is designed tol serve as a stay to prevent theside pieces from coming together -when in position between them.

By the construction described the ladder is readily folded in threethicknesses or layers, the brace-legs lying in the samelayers with theside pieces, and its narrow compass adapts it to be convenientlycarried.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

A laterally compressi ble or folding step-ladder, having side pieces A,and hinged folding steps B, legs D, hinged to the rear edges of saidside pieces to fold in the planes thereof, and folding transverse braceE, substantially as specified. a

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE GAY.

Witnesses:

ALLEN H. GANGEWER, DE LANOEY G. WALKER.

